Learning More About Skin Tags and What to Do About Them

There are many kinds of skin conditions that can develop over time. When we become adolescents, for instance, we typically start getting pimples or acne. As we grow older, we could possibly develop skin tags, among other things.

What Are Skin Tags

Also known as cutaneous tags, these are pieces of skin that grow out of your epidermis like an extra layer. They hang by appearance, and usually are connected to your skin by a stalk-like structure.

Not much is known about what causes them, but you have no reason to worry. These tags are benign tumors, like moles.

What is known, however, is that they typically develop in areas of the body that rub continuously against fabric. You may find them under your armpits, in your upper chest area, your neck and, in the case of women, under the breasts due to contact with undergarments.

In addition, you could also find them in your groin areas.

You may have had skin tags at some point in your life, but didn’t notice them at the time. This is because small sized tags usually just fall off the skin without any interference, and without inducing any skin injury.

However, if the tags are big enough, they could rupture and cause infections.

They can, however, be ungainly to look at, which is part of the reason why people become concerned about skin tag removal. Fortunately, for you, these dermal tags can be removed without the need for invasive surgery. You can, in fact, undergo the procedure on an outpatient basis with your dermatologist.

What Are The Treatment Techniques for Removing Skin Tags?

There are various techniques employed by dermatologists to remove these tags from their patients’ skin. These treatments are:

Excision

As its name suggests, this form of surgery utilizes a cutting instrument to extract the tag from the skin. Using a scalpel, the surgeon or dermatologists severs the stalk from the skin causing the tag to fall off.

Cauterization

This technique involves burning off the skin tag or the connected stalk, resulting in it falling off and being removed from the epidermis. A carbon dioxide laser is usually the instrument of choice for heating the stalk.

Cryosurgery

The opposite of cauterization, cryosurgery involves freezing the skin tag so that removal can be facilitated afterwards. Dermatologists prefer injecting liquid nitrogen into the tags when carrying out this procedure.

Ligation

Perhaps the simplest procedure of all, ligation involves making a tight knot around the stalk so you can pull the skin tag off. However, this is not recommended by surgeons and dermatologists as, though it is cheap, forcibly removing the tag can cause irritations and scarring.

What Does Lucere Recommend?

At Lucere Dermatology & Laser Clinic, we specialize in skin tag removal using either of the three techniques: cryosurgery, excision and cauterization.

Our team of expert dermatologists will meet with you beforehand to study your skin and determine the best course of treatment for you that will not leave scars afterwards. We apply anaesthesia before any procedure to numb the area and eliminate occurrence of pain.

Contact us now and we’ll talk about how we can help you with your skin tags.